State orders Pike County to keep all four district courts

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declared that Pike County will keep all four of its magisterial district courts.

BETH BRELJE

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declared that Pike County will keep all four of its magisterial district courts.

As a cost-saving measure last year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court directed every president judge in the state to determine whether all magisterial district judges are needed in their counties.

The court aimed to reduce the number of district judges by 10 percent in the next several years.

In response to that directive, Pike County President Judge Joseph Kameen wrote a report last year recommending the elimination of Magisterial District Court 60-03-3 located on Little Walker Road in Shohola, which covers Dingman, Lackawaxen and Shohola townships.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has elected to retain all four magisterial district courts in Pike. The order provides that the four are re-established effective immediately.

The effect of the order is simply to reconfirm the current districts in terms of their jurisdiction and the positions of the judges, Kameen said.

The order eliminates confusion related to the coming elections since two of the judge positions are up for election this year. If the Supreme Court had consolidated the districts, that would have eliminated one of the elections and changed the jurisdictional areas of the other courts.

Magisterial District 60-03-1 is comprised of Matamoras and Milford boroughs, Milford and Westfall townships and is presided over by Judge Deborah Fisher.

Magisterial District 60-3-02 covers Blooming Grove, Greene and Palmyra townships and is presided over by Judge Jay Rose.

Magisterial District 60-3-03 covers Dingman, Lackawaxen and Shohola townships and is presided over by Judge Alan Cooper.

Magisterial District 60-3-04 is comprised of Delaware, Lehman and Porter townships and is presided over by Judge Stephen McBride.

For this year's elections, the judge seats for districts 60-3-02 and 60-3-04 are up for election.

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